Washington lauded Iraq for detaining ISIS terrorists in secure facilities, after a recent announcement that the United States will be transferring up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq.
“As a member of the Coalition to Defeat ISIS, Iraq is on the front line in confronting the threat that ISIS still poses to all countries,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Jan. 22.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said “Iraq is doing its part,” adding that “non-Iraqi terrorists will be in Iraq temporarily” and that the United States “expects countries to repatriate their citizens in these facilities to face justice.”
The State Department called the move “in line with proper burden sharing among coalition members.”
“We are deeply honored to thank the Iraqi government for its exceptional leadership within the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS,” said Tom Barrack, U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria.
“Iraq’s vital contributions to promoting stability in Syria and across the broader region are indispensable,” he stated. “They reflect a profound commitment to collective security and pave the way for a more peaceful, prosperous and unified future for all our shared neighbors.”
